Ceiling type air conditioner and control method thereof

ABSTRACT

A ceiling type air conditioner includes a main body case which comprises a plurality of air flow holes through which air is sucked and discharged, a heat exchanger which is provided inside the main body case to perform a heat exchange with respect to air sucked into the main body case, a fan which is provided inside the main body case to change a blowing direction of air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger and to send the air, and a driving motor which forwardly and reversely rotates the fan.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0129563, filed on Dec. 18, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present general inventive concept relates to a ceiling type air conditioner and a control method thereof to change a discharge direction of a cool air and a warm air according to a rotation direction of a fan.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, to improve efficiency of an installation space, an air conditioner disposed to a ceiling to downwardly supply a cool air and a warm air has been widely used as a ceiling type air conditioner.

The ceiling type air conditioner includes a suction hole and a discharge hole for circulation of an indoor air, and a fan and a heat exchanger disposed inside a main body casing to forcedly circulate the indoor air through the inlet and the suction hole and to perform a heat-exchange with respect to the indoor air.

A conventional ceiling type air conditioner is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-0032213. The conventional ceiling type air conditioner includes a main body case, a lower surface of which is opened, a motor attached to an inner upper surface of the main body case, a turbo fan coupled to a shaft of the motor to discharge air sucked from a lower side in a radial direction, and a heat exchanger disposed around the turbo fan inside the main body case.

In the conventional ceiling type air conditioner, the fan forcedly circulating the indoor air through the suction hole and the discharge hole is a turbo type, and the indoor air is sucked from a lower center of main body case for a heat exchange to be performed, and then is discharged in a plurality of directions through the discharge holes.

If a cool air or a warm air is discharged in the plurality of directions, the cool air or the warm air can be uniformly supplied to indoor. However, if the conventional ceiling type air conditioner is installed to a high ceiling to be operated in a cooling running mode or a heating running mode, wind is dispersed, and accordingly, a cool air or a warm air discharged from the air conditioner becomes incapable of reaching a lower space in which a user is located.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present general inventive concept provides a ceiling type air conditioner and a control method thereof to supply a cool air or a warm air in a directly downward direction of a main body case.

The present general inventive concept provides a ceiling type air conditioner and a control method thereof to improve a wind reaching distance of a cool air or a warm air discharged from a main body case to correspond to the height of a ceiling.

Additional aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can be achieved by providing a ceiling type air conditioner, comprising a main body case which comprises a plurality of air flow holes through which air is sucked and discharged, a heat exchanger which is provided inside the main body case to perform a heat exchange with respect to air sucked into the main body case, a fan which is provided inside the main body case to change a blowing direction of air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger and to send the air, and a driving motor which forwardly and reversely rotates the fan.

The ceiling type air conditioner may further include a selecting button which selects a rotation direction of the driving motor, and a control part which controls the rotation direction of the driving motor based on a signal selected in the selecting button.

The air flow holes may include a main air flow hole which is formed in a central area of the main body case, and a plurality of sub air flow holes which are formed in a circumference around the main air flow hole.

The air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger may be sucked through the main air flow hole to be discharged through the sub air flow hole when the fan forwardly rotates.

The air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger may be sucked through the sub air flow hole to be discharged through the main air flow hole when the fan reversely rotates.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a control method of a ceiling type air conditioner comprises a main body case which comprises a main air flow hole which is formed in a central area thereof and a plurality of sub air flow holes which are formed in a circumference around the main air flow hole, and a heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange with respect to air sucked into the main body case, the ceiling type air conditioner comprising a propeller type fan which blows air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger, a driving motor which forwardly and reversely rotates the fan, and a selecting button which selects a rotation direction of the driving motor, the control method comprising selecting a rotation direction of the fan by handling the selecting button; and rotating the fan in a rotation selected in the selecting button.

The fan rotating stage may include sucking of air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger through the main air flow hole and discharging of the air through the sub air flow hole when the fan forwardly rotates.

The fan rotating stage may include sucking of air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger through the sub air flow hole and discharging of the air through the main air flow hole when the fan reversely rotates.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a ceiling type air conditioner, including a main body case which includes a main air flow hole, a plurality of sub air flow holes, and one or more air paths formed between the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes, a heat exchanger disposed in at least one of the one or more air paths, a fan disposed in the one or more air paths of the main body case to rotate in first and second directions to change a blowing direction of air along the one or more air paths between the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes.

The fan may control the air to flow from the main air flow hole to the plurality of sub air flow holes along the one or more air paths, and control the air to flow from the plurality of sub air flow holes to the main air flow hole.

The fan may be disposed between the main air flow hole and the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is disposed between the fan and the plurality of sub air flow holes.

The main body case may include a ceiling panel on which the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes are formed, and a main flow duct extended from the ceiling panel to guide air between the fan and the main air flow hole.

The heat exchanger may be disposed on the main flow duct between the fan and the sub air flow holes.

The heat exchanger may be disposed between the main air flow hole and the sub air flow holes.

The main body may include a ceiling panel, and the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes may be formed on the same ceiling panel.

The sub air flow holes may be disposed opposite to each other with respect to the main air flow hole.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a ceiling type air conditioner, including a main body case which includes a ceiling panel having a main air flow hole and a plurality of sub air flow holes, and a housing connected to the ceiling panel to define an inside thereof, a heat exchanger disposed in the inside of the main body case, and a fan disposed in the inside to change an air flow between the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes through the heat exchanger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a ceiling type air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a configuration of the ceiling type air conditioner in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram illustrating a ceiling type air conditioner according to the exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of a ceiling type air conditioner according to the exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating an air flow in a case of forwardly rotating of a propeller type fan in the ceiling type air conditioner of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view 1 illustrating an air flow in case of reversely rotating of the propeller type fan in the ceiling type air conditioner of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below so as to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept comprises a main body case 10 to be disposed in a ceiling 5.

The main body case 10 may have a box-like shape. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto. The main body case 10 may have a different shape that the box-like shape.

The main body case 10 comprises a housing 11 having a lower surface which is opened, and a ceiling panel 13 coupled to the opened lower surface of the housing 11 and including a circumference 13 a to cover an opening 7 of the ceiling 5.

The housing 11 according to the present embodiment has a tetragonal sectional shape. Alternatively, the section of the housing 11 may have various shapes such as a circular shape, an oval shape, a polygonal shape, and other known shapes in the art.

The ceiling panel 13 is formed with a plurality of air flow holes 15 through which air is sucked into the main body case 10 or discharged from the main body case 10.

The plurality of air flow holes 15 comprise a main air flow hole 17 formed in a central area of the ceiling panel 13, and a plurality of sub air flow holes 19 formed in a circumference area around the main air flow hole 17. Each sub air flow hole 19 is narrowly elongated along each side of the main body case 10 outside the main air flow hole 17.

The number of the plurality of sub air flow holes 19 may be four according to the present embodiment. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto. The number of the plurality of sub air flow holes 19 may be less than four or more than four.

A main filter 21 is mounted to the main air flow hole 17 to purify air, and a sub filter 23 is mounted to the sub air flow hole 19 to purify air. Also, a main air flow duct 25 is provided in the main body hole 17 to guide air sucked into through the main air flow hole 17 and discharged to a central part of a fan 35, and a sub air flow duct 27 is provided in the sub air flow hole 19 to guide air sucked into and discharged to a central part of the fan 35. An outer side of the main air flow duct 25 is supported to a condensed water receiver 31. The fan 35 may be a propeller type fan according to the present embodiment. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto. The fan 35 may be different from the propeller type fan.

In the main body case 10, provided are a heat exchanger 30 performing a heat exchange with respect to air sucked into the main body case 10, the propeller type fan 35 changing a blowing direction of air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger 30, and a driving motor 40 to forwardly and/or reversely rotate the propeller type fan 35.

The heat exchanger 30 has a tetragonal tube shape to surround a circumference around the propeller type fan 35. The condensed water receiver 31 is disposed under the heat-exchanger 30 to gather and discharge condensed water generated in a heat exchange process. The condensed water receiver 31 is supported by the ceiling panel 13.

The propeller type fan 35 is disposed in an inner central part of the main body case 10, that is, in an inner side area surrounded by the heat exchanger 30, and is forwardly and/or reversely rotated by the driving motor 40 to change a blowing direction of air sucked into the main body case 10. The inner side area may be disposed between the ceiling panel 13 and a rear side 11 a of the housing 11.

The driving motor 40 is disposed in a center of an inner upper surface of the main body case 10. The driving motor 40 may be mounted on the rear side 11 a of the housing. The driving motor 40 is connected to the propeller type fan 35 to forwardly and/or reversely rotate the propeller type fan 35. Accordingly, if the driving motor 40 forwardly rotates, the propeller type fan 35 is forwardly rotated so that air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger 30 can be sucked through the main air flow hole 17 to be discharged through the sub air flow hole 19. If the driving motor 40 reversely rotates, the propeller type fan 35 is reversely rotated so that air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger 30 can be sucked through the sub airflow hole 19 to be discharged through the main airflow hole 17.

The ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment comprises a selecting button 45 provided in a remote controller, etc., to select a rotating direction of the driving motor 40, and a control part 50 to control the rotating direction of the driving motor 40 based on a signal selected in the selecting button 45.

The control part 50 may communicate with the selecting part 45 connectable to the control part through wired or wireless communications. The control part 50 may be disposed in the remote controller or the main body 10. When the central part 50 outputs a signal to the main body case to control the motor 40.

The control part 50 comprises a microprocessor, and controls driving of the driving motor 40. If the driving motor 40 is selected to forwardly rotate by the selecting button 45, the control part 50 according to the present embodiment drives the driving motor 40 to forwardly rotate based on a signal from the selecting button 45. If the driving motor 40 is selected to reversely rotate by the selecting button 45, the control part 50 drives the driving motor 40 to reversely rotate based on a signal from the selecting button 45. Accordingly, the propeller type fan 35 is reversely rotated so that air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger 30 can be sucked through the sub air flow hole 19 to be discharged through the main air flow hole 17. That is, the ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment operates in a concentrative discharge running mode.

With this configuration, an operating process of a ceiling type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept will be described by referring to FIG. 4 to 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the rotating direction of the propeller type fan 35 is selected by handling the selecting button 45 (S10).

Then, the control part 50 determines whether the driving motor 40 is selected to forwardly rotate or not based on a signal selected in the selecting button 45 (S20).

If the driving motor 40 is determined to forwardly rotate, the control part 50 transmits a signal to the driving motor 40 to forwardly rotate the driving motor 40 (S30). Accordingly, the propeller type fan 35 is forwardly rotated.

If the signal selected in the selecting button 45 is not a forward rotation, the control part 50 determines whether the signal selected in the selecting button 45 is a reverse rotation or not (S40).

If the reverse rotation is determined to be selected, the control part 50 transmits a signal to the driving motor 40 to reversely rotate the driving motor 40 (S50). Accordingly, the propeller type fan 35 is reversely rotated.

If the reverse rotation is determined not to be selected, the control part 50 informs that manipulation of the selecting button 45 is incorrect or the selecting button 45 is improperly selected, through a display device (not shown) or an alarming device (not shown).

Hereinafter, a flow of an indoor air in a case of forwardly rotating of the driving motor 40 will be described.

If the driving motor 40 is selected to forwardly rotate by the selecting button 45, the control part 50 drives the driving motor 40 to forwardly rotate based on a signal from the selecting button 45.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, if the propeller type fan 35 forwardly rotates as the driving motor 40 forwardly rotates, an indoor air sucked through the main air flow hole 17 disposed in a center of the ceiling panel 13 passes the main filter 21 to be purified, and then is supplied to a center of the propeller type fan 35 through the main air flow duct 25 disposed in rear of the main air flow hole 17.

The indoor air supplied to the propeller type fan 35 is turned toward the heat exchanger 30 by means of a rotation force of the propeller type fan 35 to be discharged.

When the air discharged from the propeller type fan 35 passes the heat exchanger 30, the discharged air is cooled or heated. The cooled or heated air passes the sub filter 23 to be purified, and then is discharged in plural directions through the sub air flow hole 19 disposed in a circumference around the ceiling panel 13 of the main body case 10 to be supplied to an indoor space.

Accordingly, the ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to the present general inventive concept operates in at least one of direction discharge running modes to cool or heat the indoor space.

For example, when the fan 35 rotates in one of the plurality of discharge running modes, a cooling operation is performed in the heat exchanger 30 or a heating operation can be performed in the heat exchanger 30. the plurality of discharge running modes may include a fan mode to circulate air without the operation of the heat exchanger 30.

Then, a flow of an indoor air in case of reversely rotating of the driving motor 40 will be described.

If the driving motor 40 is selected to reversely rotate by the selecting button 45, the control part 50 drives the driving motor 40 to reversely rotate based on a signal from the selecting button 45.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, if the propeller type fan 35 reversely rotates as the driving motor 40 reversely rotates, an indoor air sucked through the sub air flow hole 19 disposed in a circumference around the ceiling panel 13 passes the sub filter 23 to be purified, and then is supplied to a center of the propeller type fan 35 via the heat exchanger 30 through the sub air flow duct 27 disposed in rear of the sub air flow hole 19.

Here, when the air being supplied to the center of the propeller type fan 35 passes the heat exchanger 30, the air is cooled or heated. The cooled or heated air passes the main filter 21 to be purified, and then is concentratively discharged downwardly through the main air flow hole 17 disposed in a center of the ceiling panel 13 of the main body case 10 to be supplied to the indoor space.

Accordingly, the ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to the present general inventive concept operates in a directly downward concentrative discharge running mode to cool or heat the indoor space.

Accordingly, if the ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to the present general inventive concept is operated in the plural direction discharge running mode, a cool air or a warm air discharged from the main body case 10 can be uniformly supplied to the indoor space. Also, if the ceiling type air conditioner 1 according to the present general inventive concept is operated in the directly downward concentrative discharge running mode, a cool air or a warm air discharged from the main body case 10 can be supplied in a directly downward direction of the main body case 10, and a wind reaching distance of the cool air or the warm air exhaled from the main body case 10 can be improved to correspond to the height of the ceiling 5. Especially, if sweat is rapidly cooled or a body temperature is rapidly warmed, a bodily sensory cooling or a bodily sensory heating can be improved by the concentrative discharge.

As described above, by providing the propeller type fan changing a blowing direction of air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger to the ceiling type air conditioner, and forwardly and reversely rotating the propeller type fan, an blowing direction of air discharged from the ceiling type air conditioner can be selected in the plural direction discharge running mode or the concentrative discharge running mode according to selection of a rotation direction of the propeller type fan.

In the exemplary embodiment, the main filter and the sub filter purifying air are respectively provided to the main air flow hole and the sub air flow hole. Alternatively, the main filter and the sub filter may be selectively provided.

Also, in the exemplary embodiment, four sub air flow holes are formed in the circumference around the main air flow hole. Alternatively, the number of the sub air flow holes may be changed.

As described above, the present general inventive concept provides a ceiling type air conditioner and a control method thereof improving a configuration of a fan, thereby supplying a cool air or a warm air in a directly downward direction of a main body case. Also, the present invention provides a ceiling type air conditioner and a control method thereof improving a wind reaching distance of a cool air or a warm air discharged from a main body case to correspond to the height of a ceiling.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A ceiling type air conditioner, comprising: a main body case which comprises a plurality of air flow holes through which air is sucked and discharged; a heat exchanger which is provided inside the main body case to perform a heat exchange with respect to air sucked into the main body case; a fan which is provided inside the main body case to change a blowing direction of air for which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger and to send the air; and a driving motor which forwardly and reversely rotates the fan.
 2. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising: a selecting button which selects a rotation direction of the driving motor, and a control part which controls the rotation direction of the driving motor based on a signal selected in the selecting button.
 3. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the air flow holes comprise: a main air flow hole which is formed in a central area of the main body case; and a plurality of sub air flow holes which are formed in a circumference around the main air flow hole.
 4. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the air flow holes comprise: a main air flow hole which is formed in a central area of the main body case; and a plurality of sub air flow holes which are formed in a circumference around the main air flow hole.
 5. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 3, wherein air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger is sucked through the main air flow hole to be discharged through the sub air flow hole when the fan forwardly rotates.
 6. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 4, wherein air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger is sucked through the main air flow hole to be discharged through the sub air flow hole when the fan forwardly rotates.
 7. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 3, wherein air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger is sucked through the sub air flow hole to be discharged through the main air flow hole when the fan reversely rotates.
 8. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 4, wherein air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger is sucked through the sub air flow hole to be discharged through the main air flow hole when the fan reversely rotates.
 9. A control method of a ceiling type air conditioner comprising a main body case which comprises a main air flow hole which is formed in a central area thereof and a plurality of sub air flow holes which are formed in a circumference around the main air flow hole; and a heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange with respect to air sucked into the main body case, the ceiling type air conditioner comprising a propeller type fan which blows air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat exchanger, a driving motor which forwardly and reversely rotates the fan, and a selecting button which selects a rotation direction of the driving motor, the control method comprising: selecting a rotation direction of the fan by handling the selecting button; and rotating the fan in a rotation selected in the selecting button.
 10. The control method of claim 9, wherein the rotating of the fan comprises sucking air on which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger through the main air flow hole and discharging of the air through the sub air flow hole when the fan forwardly rotates.
 11. The control method of claim 9, wherein the rotating of the fan comprises sucking air one which a heat exchange is performed in the heat-exchanger through the sub air flow hole and discharging of the air through the main air flow hole when the fan reversely rotates.
 12. A ceiling type air conditioner, comprising: a main body case which comprises a main air flow hole, a plurality of sub air flow holes, and one or more air paths formed between the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes; a heat exchanger disposed in at least one of the one or more air paths; a fan disposed in the one or more air paths of the main body case to rotate in first and second directions to change a blowing direction of air along the one or more air paths between the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes.
 13. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the fan controls the air to flow from the main air flow hole to the plurality of sub air flow holes along the one or more air paths, and controls the air to flow from the plurality of sub air flow holes to the main air flow hole.
 14. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the fan is disposed between the main air flow hole and the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is disposed between the fan and the plurality of sub air flow holes.
 15. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the main body case comprises a ceiling panel on which the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes are formed, and a main flow duct extended from the ceiling panel to guide air between the fan and the main air flow hole.
 16. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed on the main flow duct between the fan and the sub air flow holes.
 17. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed between the main air flow hole and the sub air flow holes.
 18. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the main body comprises a ceiling panel, and the main air flow hole and the plurality of sub air flow holes are formed on the same ceiling panel.
 19. The ceiling type air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the sub air flow holes are disposed opposite to each other with respect to the main air flow hole. 